Blue Food Forum underway in Tanzania – Against a backdrop of growing international interest in the role of fisheries and aquaculture in feeding a growing world population and maintaining the health of the planet, more than 200 experts and policy-makers will gather at the Blue Food Forum to explore the potential of aquatic supply chains in driving food system change.
Hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania and the FISH4ACP aquatic supply chain development programme, between yesterday and today, the forum shines a spotlight on good practices in aquatic food supply chain development to promote debate on how they can help shape national and international policies to address global challenges such as malnutrition, poverty and environmental degradation.
‘Conflict, economic disparities, climate change and pressure on natural resources are some of the main drivers of food insecurity,’
said Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division .
‘Tackling these challenges requires a transformation of our global food systems, and aquatic foods are essential to make this happen’.
The forum builds on the international momentum around food system transformation triggered by the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, where food producers, civil society, researchers, the private sector and the UN system launched a movement to transform global food systems in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda .
FISH4ACP in practice
FISH4ACP has implemented a number of projects that contribute to food and nutrition security, economic prosperity and job creation by ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture supply chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
‘New methods of smoking and drying are helping women engaged in fish processing on Lake Tanganyika to produce more food and increase their earnings,’
said Riziki Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of the United Republic of Tanzania, explaining how joint efforts with FISH4ACP, tailored to the needs of local fishing communities, are improving the fishing of sardines, sprats and perch from Lake Tanganyika.
In the Dominican Republic, FISH4ACP is working with the government to support artisanal mahi-mahi fishing. It has established a long-term framework that includes social protection programmes for vulnerable fishermen and vendors, a crucial safety net that helps fishing communities cope with the unpredictability of catches and extreme weather events.
FISH4ACP supports the Marshall Islands in building local capacity in the maintenance and repair of refrigerated containers. This is a small but crucial boost to this island nation’s ambition to strengthen its position as a tuna containerisation hub and bring more value from the tuna industry ashore to stimulate domestic growth and create job opportunities.
‘Fishing and aquaculture are the cornerstone of the livelihoods, economies and cultures of many African, Caribbean and Pacific countries,’
said Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary-General for Environment and Climate Action at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
The OACPS, which leads the FISH4ACP initiative, hosted its biennial meeting of fisheries and aquaculture ministers consecutively to the Blue Food Forum.
‘The message that localised solutions are driving the transformation of the global food system is music to the ears of many in OACPS countries,’
Pratt added.
FAO implements FISH4ACP with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
A good example of collaboration
‘No one can achieve this transformation alone,’
said Raphael Goulet, Head of the Unit for Ocean Governance, Law of the Sea and the Arctic, European Commission.
‘Across 12 countries on three continents, FISH4ACP is a shining example of how collaboration can drive catalytic change to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture value chains,’
he added.
‘The transformation of global food systems implies sustainable and inclusive fisheries and aquaculture value chains for all,’
said Andreas Schaumayer, head of the BMZ department.
Blue Food Forum underway in Tanzania
